Sanguinarine canadensis is known as Bloodroot, Puccoon, Tetterwort, etc. and is an herb native to North America. The plant and its juices have been used for various purposes during pre-history as well as written history. It has been used as a natural historic folk remedy medicine. The plant has been generally used whole either undried (fresh) or dried. The usual procedure is to powder the dried plant and mix it with a carrier. This folk remedy has been tried for such things as asthma, bronchitis, dysentery, ringworm, and a substantial list of other ailments.
Sanguinarine, chelerythrine, and other benzophenanthridine alkaloids are known alkaloids defined as isoquinolines. Plant sources for these alkaloids fall into various species; the Papaveraceae, Fumariaceae, and Rutaceae families. Recoveries of these alkaloids from Sanguinaria Canadensis L. and Macleaya species are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,145,412; 4,406,881; 4,517,172; 4,590,061; 4,599,228; 4,683,133; 4,689,216; 4,767,861; and 4,769,452. Production of these alkaloids from plant tissue culture has been described in Plant Cell Reports (1988) 7:410-413.
Purification of the benzophenathridine alkaloids into individual alkaloids without using known chromatographic methods is also described in the foregoing U.S. patents.
The use of an extract containing these benzophenanthridine alkaloids from Sanguinaria Canadensis L. as an ingredient in an oral cleansing preparation is also disclosed in the foregoing U.S. patents.
Other uses for the extract of Sanguinaria Canadensis L. are reported as a plaque disclosing agent in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,517,172 and 4,590,061.
It is known that mouthrinses and dentifrices containing sanguinaria extract are effective anti-plaque and anti-gingivitis agents. They are also effective against oral malodor and calculus. The alkaloid extract when made into an oral rinse, dentifrice, or oral care product is an excellent breath freshener, and also an anti-plaque and anti-gingivitis agent. European Patent 396,232 discloses an antimicrobial mouthrinse containing sanguinaria which is stabilized by the presence of an orally acceptable buffer system such as sodium citrate and citric acid, buffered to acid pH. Although mouthrinses of this type are quite effective, there is still a need for improved mouthrinses.
The present inventors have unexpectedly found that sanguinaria based mouthrinses utilizing mixtures of specific surfactants exhibit improved anti-microbial efficacy and stability, especially when compared to mouthrinses disclosed in European Patent 396,232.